Keto-Adapted versus Ketosis

Given the amount of confusion regarding when to carb up... Mark recommends, and I agree, that anyone should absolutely not carb up for 2-3 weeks and if you're severely overweight and have been eating a standard American diet for a sustained period of time, then you might need as many as 6 weeks. Mark's position is that you need to reprogram your genes to use ketones for fuel.

Similarly, ketostix should reflect ketosis when you're starting the diet and when you've you got a decent amount of excess fat. As you sustain the diet and approach your ideal body composition, ketostixs become lighter and eventually stop working, this is a GOOD THING. It means that your brain cells, nerve cells, and other bodily tissues are using ketones for fuel, which may in fact be preferable to glucose in that less free-radicals are produced and it will make returning to ketosis after a carb up or even after a month off, much easier.

Way to many people complain about this diet not working when they carbed up their first week, their body tissues never became adapted to using ketones for fuel, and they never lost their carb craving.

Further, to many people freak out after ketostix loose effectiveness after the first couple of weeks on a ketodiet.

to add to this:
A lot of people are too worried about "being in ketosis". If you stick to the diet, you are going to be in ketosis, you just aren't keto-adapted yet (most likely). Being keto-adapted is another thing. You know when you're keto-adapted. Energy is skyrocketing with less hunger cravings, clearer thinking, etc. (different results for everyone)

Also, those who carb-up with the idea of a binge usually overeat in calories and diminish any progress they have made the week(s) prior. Even when I was doing CKD, i was carbing up every 12 days or so, and staying at either maintenance or a deficit in calories.

i don't believe in using ketostix. if you are eating low in carbs, what's the point in using them? your body won't run off the 80 calories or so of carbs you are consuming the entire day, your body WILL switch to fat for fuel.

so in the end... all you keto noobz:
1. Figure out Macros
2. Stick to Macros
3. If/When you carb up, count your calorie/macro totals.
4. Continue to follow steps 2 and 3.

If you aren't losing weight, it means you're eating too much. EAT LESS. Do not come to the conclusion that your weight loss has stalled until after about 3 weeks of the stall. Sometimes it takes a little longer for the results to show, plus water/food weight could play a part in the weight you are seeing on the scale at the point in time.

I personally don't do the carb ups. Frowned upon around here, yes, but it's what works best for ME...which is most important.

It's only frowned upon by the people who don't understand that everyone is different, and what works for one person might not work for another. If I had more knowledge in glycogen and the store/usage for a keto-adapted individual, I may never carb up if I was CKD as well. I usually end up feeling week in the gym when my glycogen started to get depleted on CKD. If you continue to feel good without one, more power to you.

Given the amount of confusion regarding when to carb up... Mark recommends, and I agree, that anyone should absolutely not carb up for 2-3 weeks and if you're severely overweight and have been eating a standard American diet for a sustained period of time, then you might need as many as 6 weeks. Mark's position is that you need to reprogram your genes to use ketones for fuel.

Similarly, ketostix should reflect ketosis when you're starting the diet and when you've you got a decent amount of excess fat. As you sustain the diet and approach your ideal body composition, ketostixs become lighter and eventually stop working, this is a GOOD THING. It means that your brain cells, nerve cells, and other bodily tissues are using ketones for fuel, which may in fact be preferable to glucose in that less free-radicals are produced and it will make returning to ketosis after a carb up or even after a month off, much easier.

Way to many people complain about this diet not working when they carbed up their first week, their body tissues never became adapted to using ketones for fuel, and they never lost their carb craving.

Further, to many people freak out after ketostix loose effectiveness after the first couple of weeks on a ketodiet.

to add to this:
A lot of people are too worried about "being in ketosis". If you stick to the diet, you are going to be in ketosis, you just aren't keto-adapted yet (most likely). Being keto-adapted is another thing. You know when you're keto-adapted. Energy is skyrocketing with less hunger cravings, clearer thinking, etc. (different results for everyone)

Also, those who carb-up with the idea of a binge usually overeat in calories and diminish any progress they have made the week(s) prior. Even when I was doing CKD, i was carbing up every 12 days or so, and staying at either maintenance or a deficit in calories.

i don't believe in using ketostix. if you are eating low in carbs, what's the point in using them? your body won't run off the 80 calories or so of carbs you are consuming the entire day, your body WILL switch to fat for fuel.

so in the end... all you keto noobz:
1. Figure out Macros
2. Stick to Macros
3. If/When you carb up, count your calorie/macro totals.
4. Continue to follow steps 2 and 3.

If you aren't losing weight, it means you're eating too much. EAT LESS. Do not come to the conclusion that your weight loss has stalled until after about 3 weeks of the stall. Sometimes it takes a little longer for the results to show, plus water/food weight could play a part in the weight you are seeing on the scale at the point in time.

Hi Rob,
Do you increase your calories and macros on days when you work out or do you keep them the same every day?

I think the issue is that a lot of people forget that not everyone does well on carbs. I've tried for years now to try and make the standard 40/20/20 approach work and it just doesn't. Its lead to tons of issues with depression & anxiety that are cleared up very rapidly by being in ketosis. Some do this for weight loss where others find that their brains work entirely more efficient using ketones.

keto adapted

Originally Posted by DustyChicago

Similarly, ketostix should reflect ketosis when you're starting the diet and when you've you got a decent amount of excess fat. As you sustain the diet and approach your ideal body composition, ketostixs become lighter and eventually stop working, this is a GOOD THING.

Does this also apply to ketones in the blood? or is this isolated to ketones in the urine? As I am using a digital blood tester to assess ketone levels im not sure whether or not to expect a drop in ketones when I get keto adapted.

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